I believe it is because C/L did not participate at Skate America. Hence, no one is talking about them in this thread.
I like some things of C/L's new FD this year and not like other things in the program, but overall I like it more than the crud program of last year. This new FD is not as bad as I expected from Zoueva. Well, maybe over time it will be. But it is better than last year's. Anything is an improvement from last year's.
Shibutanis need to work on their skating skills. They do not have powerful deep edges and absolutely no amplitude in their skating. No one should ever compare them to V/M. Also, they skate so far apart, and it has not improved, even after Maia has grown. Also, their lack of interpretation skills is troubling. Deficiency in skating skills and interpretation skills is a recipe for disaster. Since they aren't outstanding technicians or dancers, they should just take the C/B route. They should go to Shpilband. Zoueva can package and hide her skaters flaws very well too, but she has her hands full right now with so many other teams.
The truth is that Zueva is not a coach. She is a choreographer. There is only so much that a choreographer can hide in the face of COP. The Shibs needed to have gone with Igor. Great technical skills are the foundation of great artistry. V/M and D/W already had that so their need of Igor was less, although I think V/M would have benefited if Igor stayed. Maia and Alex's skills took a nose dive when Igor left, they had better start to draw the right conclusions.
Looking forward to CoC!